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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28296654">A gift for one yet to come</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvvyQueen/pseuds/IvvyQueen'>IvvyQueen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Original Character(s), Pregnancy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:49:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,429</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28296654</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvvyQueen/pseuds/IvvyQueen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas at home, Faye, daughter of Eren and Annie, gives a pleasant surprise to her baby brother... even if he's not here, yet.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annie Leonhart/Eren Yeager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A gift for one yet to come</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=The+Ereannie+Discord+Server">The Ereannie Discord Server</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/DensetsuLee96/gifts">DensetsuLee96</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The fire crackled and danced in her stare. Swaying on its own, Annie followed along to the flames, rubbing her belly in gentle motions. Her heaving eased, the weight on her back didn’t but at least, she managed to stop the circling of the bundle she carried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Is he uneasy?’’ Eren approached, he kneeled next to her and handed her a glass of water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘A little. I don’t know if it’s the cold or if he’s just fussy.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘I’ll bring you a blanket.’’ Eren brushed back her bangs with his fingers, getting up from his spot and heading inside their bedroom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rocking back and forth on her chair, Annie’s sleeve came down, pulled by the gentle tug of her daughter’s hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Faye? What’s the matter, baby?’’ Her monotone vanished, turning her voice into a hushed coo, leaning right to meet her to her eyes. Her cheeks covered in frost and fresh snow, so were her boots.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Where’s papa? He’s supposed to help me hang the star.’’ She stated, matter-of-factly, her little index pointing at the top of their ornamented, crownless tree and waving the glittery, golden star made out of a cheap metal alloy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘I thought he told you to wait a little.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘I did.’’ Eren sighed, covering Annie with the blanket before he kneeled in front of Faye. ‘‘This was at the highest shelf, how did you-’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘I climbed.’’ She shrugged. Eren couldn’t help but shoot a glance at Annie, smiling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He brushed the frost off Faye’s face, dusting off her brunette hair. ‘‘Well, you got half the job done. Let me finish lunch and I’ll help ya out, okay?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Yes papa.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Faye sat in front of her mom. Fiddling, caressing down the smooth edges of the star. Her big, emerald gaze inching closer, running down the details; minute dents, worn down paint, the weathering down of the years.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annie looked over Faye’s tiny shoulder, a pale eyebrow arched. ‘‘What are you thinking of?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Faye turned to her mom, and looked up. ‘‘I need papa to hurry.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘You’re very adamant on putting the star up this year. Is there any reason why?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl looked around, at the star in her hands, at the treetop, then back at her mother. ‘‘No…?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annie chuckled in her hand, she patted her leg and Faye hopped up, resting back against the armchair, carefully avoiding Annie’s round belly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘You’re a lot like your dad, so much energy in one single place,’’ she breathed, her eye twitched with a short jolt of pressure against her belly, ‘‘Ngh.. I-I think he felt you, guess he wants to play with his big sister already, hm?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annie took Faye’s hands into her own, guiding them to her stomach. At the touch, the baby kicked. The young girl’s eyes lit up like the tree; Annie winced and let her body come down with a sigh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘So, he can really hear us?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Yes, Faye.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She tilted her head, and flashed a smile, leaning closer. ‘‘Hi…’’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annie covered her mouth to not laugh, and thus knock Faye off her lap, distracted by the grace of Eren coming back with the kitchen towel on his shoulder, her eyes travelling from the stump, to the sharp top.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though they couldn’t allow themselves the luxury of overriding the pine with fairy lights and and small candles, the bows, wrapped candies and metal ornaments of stars, snowflakes and reindeer gave it a tenderness of its own, unlike every other tree they could spot inside other houses or other families.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Alright Faye, ready?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Yes!’’ She hopped off and extended her arms towards Eren, who grabbed her from under her arms and lifted her to the very top.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘No no, to the left.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Over here?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Higher, papa.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren chuckled, tiptoeing until Faye patted his arm, then he pulled her down to his chest. ‘‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Now</span>
  </em>
  <span> it’s complete, don’t you think?’’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the star in its rightful place, a new spark lit the tree.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Faye nodded and jumped on his arms, tugging her father’s cotton shirt. ‘‘Can I do it now? Can I?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘I thought you wanted to wait till tomorrow?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annie frowned, an eyebrow arched.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘I changed my mind, I wanna give it now.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren sighed. He placed Faye on the ground, his shoulders dropping as he sat down next to Annie, on an empty stool. ‘‘Fine, fine. Go ahead and get the box.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Box? What are you two talking about?’’ Annie’s frown tightened, her fingers wrapped around Eren’s wrist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘It’s all okay, Annie. You’ll see.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Faye sprinted to her bedroom, she slid under the bed and, with the best of her two-year old strength, pulled a box of half her height wrapped in painted, crumpled paper and a tiny bow glued on top. She carried it back to Annie, leaving it on her lap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘For me...?’’ </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Faye shook her head, and pointed to Annie’s stomach. ‘‘It’s for him.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annie’s eyes widened. She looked at Eren, down at Faye, then at the gift in her hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ripping the wrapping in half, though not before taking the bow away, and a box. She took off the lid and Annie revealed for her ice-blue eyes the most precious, fuzzy and divine teddy bear. Its fur like the sun, its stout legs and arms stretched towards her, like a kid asking for a hug. Around its neck, a red scarf sewn to the seams for a final touch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The tears grew at the edges of her eyes, and so did her smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘I don’t get it, when did you two-’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘We used food shopping day as an excuse, the only reason you didn’t notice was because you were asleep on our bed.’’ Eren whispered in her ear, as he rubbed circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘It’s beautiful, you two. Faye, I’m sure he’ll love it more than anything in this world.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The little girl frowned, her head tilted to the right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Faye, what’s wrong?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘He won’t know what it is until you tell him.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Annie blinked a couple of times. She brushed the teddy’s cheek, imagining in place her not-yet-born baby.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Faye, would you like to tell him instead?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes, wide like saucers and bright like the morning star, Eren moved his chair to be across from Annie, and lifted Faye to his lap instead, his knees touching his wife’s as their daughter moved close.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Hi, Noah,’’ she began, the smile not daring to leave her face, ‘‘it’s Christmas! And-- and papa and I got you a gift. Well, my idea, not his.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren shook his head, concealing his laugh behind his sleeve while the other hand kept Faye away from falling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘But you’re not here to see it, you’re still inside mummy…’’ her hands pressed on Annie’s stomach, just enough to let the baby know she was there. ‘‘so I’m telling you, okay?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Faye paused, Annie reached over and tucked a loose strand of her brunette hair behind her ear. ‘‘Go on, Faye. He’s listening.’’ She reassured, her grip on Eren’s hand tightened as she fought back her tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘I got you a teddy! He’s gold and, he’s very huggable too. I hope you like hugging it.’’ Faye grabbed the plushie and placed it in front of the belly. ‘‘He has a red scarf, just like our auntie. She’s really excited to meet you too, and our uncle Armin too. He’s really soft, I think you’ll like that…’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both Eren and Annie watched the words be carved in their hearts and memories. His emeralds dripping down, he inched even closer to his daughter, but his gaze not moving from Annie’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘I hope you like it, when you get here. Merry Christmas, baby brother.’’ Faye looked up at her mom, ‘‘Did I do okay, mummy?’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘You did wonderful, my sweet baby.’’ Annie wiped the corners of her eyes, but only got more tears out of herself, Faye’s words echoing in her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘But, why are you crying?’’ her tiny brows furrowed, her two hands clutching Annie’s arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘‘Nothing bad, Faye. They’re happy tears.’’ She placed kisses and fluttering pecks all over her daughter’s face. ‘‘You make us so happy, and your brother too.’’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eren caressed her stomach, wiping away tears as he took it upon himself to repeat what she did, but on Annie’s forehead and lips. The roses bloomed on Annie’s cheeks, and she returned the kisses, twice as many.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The teddy bear rested on her lap until, sleepy and her eyes drifting shut, Eren let the plush sleep on the cradle where, any week now, their son would, too.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <b>None of the characters here belong to me. SNK and all copyrighted characters belong to their respectful owner, and the original characters to their own. This is purely a work of fiction, for fun; by a fan and for fans.</b>
</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>To anyone who reads this, and most importantly, all the Ereannie Discord Server members: Merry Christmas, happy holidays and I love you all! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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